Research progress of aluminium alloy endplates for PEMFCs

The endplate is a crucial component in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. It can provide the necessary rigidity and strength for the stack. An aluminium alloy is one of the ideal materials for PEMFC endplates because of its low density and high rigidity. But it does not meet the requirements of corrosion resistance and electrical insulation in PEMFC environments. In this work, methods of sealing treatments and the conditions of aluminium alloy anodization were investigated. Corrosion resistances of the samples prepared by different technologies were evaluated in simulated PEMFC environments. The results showed that the corrosion resistance of the samples sealed by epoxy resin was greatly improved compared with those sealed in boiling water, and the samples anodized at a constant current density performed better than those anodized at a constant voltage. By insulation measurements, all of the samples showed good electrical insulation. The aluminium alloy endplate anodized at a constant current density and sealed with thermosetting bisphenol-A epoxy resin exhibited promising potential for practical applications by assembling it in a PEMFC stack and applying a life test.